GEAC calls for socio-economic survey of Bt brinjal

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New Delhi, May 23: The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has decided to ask the National Centre for Agriculture Economics and Policy Research (NCAP) to conduct a socio-economic survey of the Bt brinjal developed by the Indian seed company, Mahyco with technology sourced from Monsanto.

NCAP is one of the affiliated institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The director of the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Mathura Rai and the ADG of plant protection, TR Rajendran will also be associated with the socio-economic survey of Bt brinjal.

GEAC’s cautious move follows the sharp criticism of the founder director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Pushp M Bhargava about the lack of health and bio-safety data of GM crops in the country.

He also pointed out the incidence of sheep mortality reportedly due to grazing over Bt cotton fields in Warangal and Adilabad districts in Andhra Pradesh.

The Supreme Court while passing an interim order in a writ petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues, PV Satheesh and Rajiv Baruah had said that Bhargava and MS Waminathan should be invited in the GEAC meeting.

Though the GEAC has called for socio-economic survey of Bt brinjal it is yet to take a decision on proper biosafety and health data as suggested by Bhargava.

The GEAC is slated to meet May 28, 2008 and on the agenda for discussion is the consideration of conducting experimental seed production of Bt brinjal by Mahyco, apart from issues relating to commercial releases and field trials of different Bt cotton hybrids.

GEAC has, however, agreed that there is an urgent need to suggest integrated resistance management strategy in respect of Bt cotton as suggested by KR Kranthi of the Central Institute of Cotton Research.

Kranthi had suggested that such a strategy needs to be implemented to prevent increased pest attacks on Bt cotton.

The GEAC is of the view that until a suitable integrated resistance management strategy is put in place the current practice of maintaining 20% area as refuge should be strictly complied with.